Chapter Text
Elize couldn't tell if life on Duel Academy was going great or worst for her.
Word had already spread across the entire academy of what she and the others had done, exploring the forbidden Abandoned Dorm. Everyone also knows that they have to go through a series of duels if they want to remain at Duel Academy. Though, the whole Titan issue and Alexis and Syrus being kidnapped and brainwashed was being kept hush-hush, not only because they don't have much info on Titan, but the threat of a stranger entering Duel Academy and potential kidnapping could causing havoc all over.
Only a select few, like Zane, Mindy, and Jasmine, knew the full truth. The other people either didn't know the full truth of what happened or they chose to remain ignorant as though the entire incident wasn't something they should get involved in whatsoever, closing the questionable incident in their minds like a chapter for good and just moving on.
Speaking of moving on, Elize believed that Seika and her friends moved on as well. Specifically, moving on from yelling or harming her.
After telling Alexis, Jasmine, and Mindy about her time with Seika, Alexis clearly went to both the Chancellor and Miss Fontaine to inform them of her findings about potential bullying going on. Now, while the two couldn't properly punish Seika and her friends without further evidence, they were given a stern lecture and warning should they find anymore potential bullying or any further proof of it.
Ever since then, Seika and her friends have left Elize alone. Or, at the very least, avoided her. Though, Elize could still feel the intense glares from the girls from behind. As much as she wanted to go up and say hello to them as a friendly greeting, Alexis advised against that and even dragged her away sometimes whenever they were near Seika and her friends. Even Elize's Duel Spirits agreed with Alexis about just avoiding Seika and her friends.
Right now, Elize was currently hanging out with Chumley outdoors in the midst of the forest. She was a bit hesitant and worried when she saw Chumley sitting atop of a large and wide tree branch all by himself, despite his insistence that he was alright and that this wasn't his first time tree climbing.
Both of them were spending time on rearranging their decks, trying to figure that strategies and cards could help them with the upcoming duels that would determine their future at Duel Academy. They even compared cards and couldn't think of any to trade with as Elize's Spellcaster-Type deck and Chumley's Beast-Type deck wasn't close to being compatible.
"Chumley, are you sure you'll be alright up there?" Elize called out. "I'm really worried..."
"Yeah, no worries! I'm all good here!" called out Chumley. Picking up one of his cards, which was Des Koala, scattered atop of the large tree branch he was sitting on, he found himself muttering, "I really can't take this card out, at least. Definitely belongs in my deck..."
Elize was collecting her scattered cards on the grass beneath, sighing to herself. She may as well try buying some new card packs from the card shop to upgrade her deck. Any remainder cards she can just give to her friends in case they have more use than her.
Hearing footsteps approaching, Elize glanced up in curiosity to see Jaden storming around in the forest near where she and Chumley were. Although she couldn't quite hear his grumbling, she could vaguely make out words such as "Professor Crowler" and something about ripping up some form.
"Jaden?" Elize stood straight up, her deck in her hands as she approached him.
"Oh, hey, Elize! How's it going?" Jaden asked, greeting her in a friendly manner.
"Well-"
"Whoa! My cards!"
Suddenly, several cards rained on top of the two from above, courtesy of Chumley who had accidentally dropped them while attempting to climb down and was now clinging onto the tree branch for dear life, resembling a koala. Although he wasn't in any danger given the not-so difference in height in between his current position and the ground, it would still be quite painful to suddenly crash fall at his current predicament.
"Oh, it's just Chumley," deadpanned Jaden.
"Ah! Oh, Chumley! I told you that it was a bad idea to stay up there! Ahhh! Oh no, what should I do?!" Elize exclaimed, running around a bit and wondering what to do to save Chumley from falling. She attempted to jump up and down to push him back up the tree branch but he was still high above.
"Try gathering some leaves and bushes to provide some sort of cushioning for him when he falls!" suggested Wynn.
"O-Okay! Right! That's a great idea!" agreed Elize, scrambling to do just what her Duel Spirit suggested.
Chumley, having the ability to hear Duel Spirits, yet not quite seeing them, glanced around in confusion ever since hearing Wynn's voice. The couple of times he's hung out with Elize, he sometimes, and randomly at times, kept hearing voices from out of nowhere, though he could never figure out where they came from.
Jaden bent down to pick up the remainder of Chumley's fallen cards while Elize went to gather a bunch of leaves, unable to simply pick up bushes off the ground as they were implanted too deeply in the ground.
Seeing that Chumley had a bunch of Koala-themed cards, thus indicating a sort of Beast-Type deck that he had, Jaden grinned up at Chumley. "Cool! Koalas! They so suit you, Chum!"
Chumley nodded, agreeing with that statement. "Yeah, they so rule! Wanna have a pick-up duel against them?
Jaden blinked in surprise before a light bulb popped up inside his head as he had brainstormed an idea. "Hey...A pick-up duel...Why didn't I think of that?" He turned back and ran towards the opposite direction, completely forgetting of thinking of helping out Chumley.
"Hey! Where are you off to, Jaden?" asked Chumley in a panic, trying not to fall off.
"The Obelisk Blue Dorm!"
"What? To do what?"
"Duh! To duel Zane!"
"WHAT?! THE Zane?! W-WAAH!"
Distracted, Chumely's grip loosened and he fell on his back, groaning. He expected to feel a whole bunch of pain from falling, but surprisingly, that sort of pain dulled under the bed of leaves that successfully caught his fall.
"Chumley! Are you alright?"
Chumley saw Elize hurriedly approaching him with a load of leaves in her arms. He glanced around and saw that what he had crashed into was a small makeshift bed of leaves that Elize rushed to gather to ease his crash.
"Y-Yeah...thanks, you know, for trying to help."
Elize dropped the leaves she gathered and extended her hand out for Chumley to grab, who gratefully took it and allowed himself to be helped up. He was lucky that he wasn't too far off from the ground, or he would have seriously have gotten some broken bones. After collecting his Koala cards, Chumley set out to find Jaden, knowing that if Slifer Reds weren't allowed in the Obelisk Blue dorms, Jaden sure wasn't welcomed either!
At the Obelisk Blue Dorms...
"Ow! What's your problem?!" cried out Jaden after being shoved to the ground by two Obelisk Blue members. The moment he stepped into Obelisk Blue grounds territory, the first thing he did was shout out for Zane to come out, demanding to duel him. Then those two Obelisk Blue students went up and shoved him back hard! He didn't think that was a genuine reason to act all violent!
One of the Obelisk Blue boys that pushed her scoffed at him. "Know your place, you Slifer slacker! Do you really think we'd let a guy like you anywhere near The Zane?"
"Yeah, Zane wouldn't waste his time with you!" mocked the other Obelisk Blue boy.
"What'd you say-?! Gah!"
In retaliation to Jaden's stubbornness, the two Obelisk Blue students didn't hesitate to splatter a bucket of water all over Jaden, drenching him entirely from head to toe. The Obelisk Blues only laughed at his pathetic sight before turning around to leave.
What excitement Jaden felt towards the possibility of dueling Zane was immediately and literally extinguished by feelings of frustration and a slight grudge against the two Obelisk Blues, but more so frustration that it's becoming increasingly more difficult to challenge Zane.
Chumley and Elize managed to finally catch up to Jaden, just in time to witness him getting splashed on by the two Obelisk Blue students. They gasped and stopped in their tracks.
Snapping out of it, Elize rushed over, kneeling down besides Jaden. "Jaden! Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine...Damnit all...Those jerks! Like that'll make me give up? Not a chance!"
"You're wet, Jaden! Aren't you cold?" asked Elize. "I'm sorry that happened to you-Here, you should probably head back and get some fresh new clothes before trying to challenge Zane again! Here, you can use my shower! We're close to the Girls' Dorm-"
"Uh, probably a bad idea, Elize!" interjected Chumley. "Don't you remember the last incident that nearly get Sy expelled for? And besides, he's a guy, you're a girl, so..."
Elize's face flushed red from embarrassment and remembering the time Syrus nearly snuck into the Obelisk Blue Girls Dorm before he had Jaden bail him out. "Oh-Oh! Right! Sorry, my bad! It slipped out of my mind-"
"No worries! I really appreciate what you're trying to do, but I'll just take a quick shower back in my dorms!" Jaden assured, grinning at her. He got up on his feet and left with Chumley, waving back at her. "Well, see ya later, Elize!"
Waving back at her friends, Elize sighed in relief, glad that no one was hurt at least. She was still worried about Syrus upon hearing from Alexis how discouraged he is and how he constantly keeps comparing himself to other stronger duelists at Duel Academy. She wasn't sure how exactly to cheer up Syrus from all that.
"You know, you and that Syrus boy are somewhat similar," spoke up Aussa, floating besides her.
'Huh? How so?' Elize asked telepathically.
"Not to be rude, but statistically speaking, you both are weak. This might be a little bias but I believe you might be stronger than Syrus himself. From what I've seen from the first few duels you witnessed to him in class, he seems a lot more hesitant and shy, unwilling to believe in himself much. Much how you were when you were younger."
Elize knew what her Duel Spirit was talking about and blushed red. She recalled that as a child, she was too hesitant to sacrifice her Monsters to Tribute Summon more stronger, higher-leveled Monsters or use them as Tributes to activate card effects. Back then, she thought sacrificing them would be hurting them and that sacrificing her own family was wrong It took a couple of years before she grew out of that mindset but still, the reminder of that made her feel embarrassed. She could recall the amount of times she lost because she refused to sacrifice her Monsters.
That, and also because she was inspired by her most favorite Duelist, the famous national US champion Duelist, Raphael, who had a tendency not to allow any of his Monsters to enter the Graveyard. She didn't know why exactly she favored him, but his dueling style did inspire her previous childhood dueling style before she eventually changed it.
Upon heading back to her room, Elize had bypassed several other Obelisk Blue students who took one glance at her and whispered amongst themselves about her. She could feel her ears burning, but kept her head down, pulling her hat down as well to hide her face. She knew they could very well be gossiping about her punishment for entering the Abandoned Dorm, but she knew better than that.
She knew they were most likely talking about her association with Slifer Reds.
Elize didn't really make it a secret that she was friends with Slifer Reds and she didn't really believe it was such a bother. But then again, she didn't understand the basic "politics" going around in this school. That an Obelisk Blue befriending a Slifer Red was an unspoken forbidden thing that would normally get one ostracized. That she would be considered a weirdo for having such friends, and it was even worst since Seika was, unbeknownst to her, spreading false rumors about her just to ruin her reputation.
Rumors about her cheating her way to Duel Academy. Rumors about her stealing work off of hardworking Slifer Reds or Ra Yellows. Rumors about her being a weak duelist that should have qualified to be in Slifer Red only to live in Obelisk Blue because she was a girl and all female students are automatically designated to be in Obelisk Blue anyway.
Her spreading the rumors ceased after her obtaining a stern warning, but still, Elize's own reputation had gone down considerably.
Just when Elize's worries steadied for the moment as she rested in her room, her worries increased once more once she got a desperate call on her PDA from Chumley and Jaden.
Later...
After receiving a call from Jaden and Chumley that Syrus had gone missing, leaving a note saying he intended on leaving Duel Academy, it wasn't even considered an option that Elize chose to help them. She searched just as desperately as they were, trying to search all of the places Syrus could have hid and, though unlikely, she even searched in the Obelisk Blue Dorms areas, even the male side.
She spent hours searching, even asking other students if they've seen her friend, all of which were the same answer: No. Though, it didn't help that several Obelisk Blues mocked Syrus simply for the fact that he was a Slifer Red as well.
Calling Syrus didn't help since he either wouldn't pick up his PDA, lost it, or it was out of battery. She did enlist Alexis' and Bastion's help after calling them to inform the situation.
She had been running around nonstop that she barely noticed how much time flew by. She was sweating and breathing profusely, having not stopped for a break even once until her Duel Spirits finally convinced her to take a break. Glancing up, she noticed that the sky had turned completely dark and starry and she didn't realize until now that she spent the entire afternoon trying to search for Syrus.
Just when she was about to call back one of her friends to see if they made any progress, a noise snapped her out of her. Turning her head, she saw what appears to be a duel happening, coupled with explosions and hearing other noises one would expect to hear from a duck. Once the smoke cleared, although it was a little far, she could make out Jaden dueling a tall young man who appears to be an Obelisk Blue student.
Correction, Jaden having lost a duel against the Obelisk Blue student.
"Jaden lost?" gasped Elize, not just from out of breath but also the unbelievable outcome of the duel.
"Jaden lost?" piped up Eria.
"He seriously lost?" Hiita wondered.
"So it would seem," said Aussa. "We're close by, might as well check out what's going on."
Following Aussa's advice, Elize gulped down some air to catch her breath and sprinted towards where the duel took place. Judging by how Jaden was giving his opponent a thumbs-up and a grin, with the opponent walking away with a small smile of satisfaction, Elize figured that everything turned out okay.
Alexis quickly caught up to the young man before slowing down to his pace besides him. "So, Zane...What do you think?"
"...I think Sy chose some good friends."
They both stopped when they saw Elize having stopped right before them, hands pressed down onto her knees as she was gasping for breath. "Have...have you seen a boy...named Syrus...? I...Me and my friends...Have been looking for-"
"Elize," spoke up Alexis, stepping forward and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Jaden's already found Syrus. He also challenged Zane to a duel and...well, the main thing is, you don't have to worry. Syrus is okay and staying here."
"Zane?" Swallowing and then finally regaining some of her breath, she looked up at her. "Um...Who was Zane again? That name sounded familiar..."
"I'm Zane. Zane Truesdale."
Turning her head to the direction of the voice, Elize saw the same tall young man who defeated Jaden. He had sharp, mature eyes with dark blue hair and a powerful presence that definitely spoke of his immense skill as a duelist, deserving to be that of an Obelisk Blue student.
Bowing her head, Elize said, "Nice to meet you, Zane! I'm Elize! Elize Konami!"
Zane knew her from the start. He was there during the Duel Academy entrance exams at the beginning of this school year. He was there to evaluate secretly and witnessed how she exposed the false cheater of a proctor and demonstrated her skills. She seemed green, but she seems fairly skilled yet different from the others.
Taking a better look at her, Zane could definitely sense hidden potential within her. It might seem small, even lacking, but there was definitely a sort of hidden potential. Yes, Jaden himself had potential as well, but with her, Zane could sense that there was a different kind of hidden potential that only she seemed to possess compared to others, but he couldn't quite explain it.
All he knew was that she was special in a...unique manner.
Jaden and Chumley, who had reunited with Syrus and successfully convinced him to stay in Duel Academy, were just about ready to leave to head back to their dorms for some quick grub when they noticed something was happening.
"Hey, Zane! What's going on?" asked Jaden.
Hearing Jaden's voice caused Elize to look up. "Oh, Jaden! You found Syrus! That's great! Is everything alright now?"
Jaden grinned. "Yup, yup, yup! Sy's staying no matter what! Thanks for trying to help search for him, by the way!"
Elize nodded before looking at Syrus. "Syrus? Is everything alright?"
"Yeah...sorry for troubling everyone, but I'll be okay now. I won't be making that mistake again," Syrus promised solemnly.
"...Elize, right? I want you to duel me."
Hearing a request from Zane of all people, everyone turned to look at him. "Huh? THE Zane wants to duel Elize?" wondered Chumley.
"Wow, that's a surprise," admitted Syrus.
Jaden, however, was ecstatic. "Aww, hell yeah! Watching a duel after being in one rules!"
"But you lost that duel," reminded Alexis.
"Eh, who cares! All that matters is having fun, right? Go for it, Elize!"
Though taken aback by the sudden request, Elize found that she couldn't really find a reason to refuse. They found Syrus safe and sound, he no longer had any intentions of leaving Duel Academy, and perhaps dueling someone who was stronger than Jaden might help improve herself as well.
With a nod, Elize agreed.
Soon, the two found themselves dueling in the same exact spot where Zane and Jaden had their own duel, with the others serving as witnesses to the duel. Both opponents activated their duel disks and prepared to duel.
"DUEL!"
- DUEL -
Zane - 4000 LP
VS
Elize - 4000
Turn 1: Zane
Hand: 6
"I'll go first," said Zane, drawing his card. 'This might be a little cruel to start off strong, but I need to see just how capable she is,' he thought. "I activate the effect of Cyber Dragon Nachster from my hand! By discarding 1 one other Monster from my hand, I can Special Summon Cyber Dragon Nachster to the field!"
A blue glowing, mechanical, serpentine-like Monster rose up from a magic circle from below the ground, marking as the first Monster of Zane's that Elize has to go up against.
Cyber Dragon Nachster - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV1 - (200/200)
"Nachster has another effect! When he's Normal or Special Summoned, I can target 1 Machine-Type Monster with 2100 Attack or Defense Points in my Graveyard and Special Summon it to my field! In exchange, though, I cannot Special Summon other Monsters except Machine-Types, for the rest of this turn!"
"Hmm? But the duel just started!" said Syrus, confused. "Zane doesn't have any Monsters in his Graveyard."
"You should pay more attention, Syrus," Alexis lightly scolded. "You know as well as I do, well, probably more since you're his brother, that Zane wouldn't make any normal mistakes in a duel. Watch."
"Hmm...Do...Do you happen to have a Monster in your Graveyard now, Zane?" asked Elize curiously. "I guess...maybe you discarded a Monster earlier to summon your Monster?"
Zane nodded. "Yes, that's right. And now, I Special Summon Cyber Dragon in Attack Mode!"
One of Zane's most commonly well-known Monsters, a steel-like, golden-eyed dragon burst out and let out a terrifying roar that sent ripples in both the air and nearby waters.
Cyber Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV5 - (2100/1600)
"Now that Cyber Dragon's been Special Summoned, this activates the effect of one of my Monsters, Cyber Dragon Vier, from my hand! If I Normal or Special Summoned Cyber Dragon, I can Special Summon Vier from my hand in Defense Mode, so I'll do that right now!"
Brimming purple light coursed through another metallic serpentine-like Monster as it coiled and danced around the air for a bit before resuming position near Zane, laying its head near the ground to signify its defensive stance.
Cyber Dragon Vier - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (1100/1600)
"Cyber Dragon Vier's other effect is that every single Monster with Cyber Dragon in their name, they gain an additional 500 Attack and Defense Points boost, including Cyber Dragon Vier, since his other effect makes it so that it's name is also Cyber Dragon so long as it's on the field or in the Graveyard. The same goes for Cyber Dragon Nachster, because its effect allows it to be counted as Cyber Dragon so long as it's in the field or Graveyard."
Cyber Dragon Vier - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (1600/2100)
Cyber Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV5 - (2600/2100)
Cyber Dragon Nachster - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV1 - (700/700)
"Now I activate the effect of Cyber Pharos from my hand! By Tributing 1 Machine - Type Monster, I can Special Summon Cyber Pharos in Defense Mode to my field! I sacrifice Cyber Dragon Nachster! Come forth, Cyber Pharos!"
Cyber Dragon Nachster vanished entirely into light, which that light soon swirled around in a circular motion as runes joined in the tornado of light before a satellite-like Monster shot out from the ground, being raised high and ready to activate any one of its abilities anytime.
Cyber Pharos - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV1 - (0/2100)
"Now I activate another one of Cyber Pharos' effects! During my Main Phase, I can Fusion Summon 1 Machine Fusion Monster using Monsters from my hand and/or field as the Fusion-Material! I choose Cyber Dragon on my field along with the Cyber Dragon Vier, who'll act as the 'second' Cyber Dragon I need to Fusion Summon Cyber Twin Dragon!"
Both Monster necessary for the required Fusion-Materials coiled up around each other and flew upwards into the air, shining brightly in a radiant light. Descending down onto the field in their new form, a steel-like twin headed draconic beast made its appearance once more that same night.
Cyber Twin Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine/Fusion) - LV8 - (2800/2100)
"I'll set two cards and end my turn."
"Wow, Zane's really going even harsher on Elize than with me when we first dueled, and it's only been the first turn!" muttered Jaden.
"Yeah, there's no way that Elize is going to win this," said Chumley, feeling discouraged for her. "I mean, it'll be a miracle if she could survive Zane's next turn!"
"Come on, don't say that. This duel might gauge more of Elize's abilities than we realized," said Alexis.
"You sound pretty confident in Elize winning, Alexis," spoke up Syrus, surprised.
"Well...it'll be a really tough call, that's for sure. Zane is the top student of our school, after all," Alexis said. "But hey, maybe we'll see more of Elize's dueling abilities far more than the usual defense and healing strategies we already know of."
"I guess..."
Turn 2: Elize
Hand: 6
"My turn!" said Elize. "I summon Maha Vailo in Attack Mode!"
The dark cloaked Spellcaster who had previously been kneeling down with his arms in a cross-like formation stood straight up, stoic and stern-faced with his arms at his side, ready for combat anytime.
Maha Vailo - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (1550/1400)
"Next, I set three cards facedown and activate the Equip Spell, Mage Power, to Maha Vailo! For every Spell and Trap card on my field, I can increase Maha Vailo's Attack and Defense Points by 500! Including Mage Power itself, I have 4 cards, so that makes it so Maha Vailo's Attack and Defense Points increase by 2000! Plus, with Maha's Vailo's ability to increase his Attack Points by 500 for each Equip Spell equipped to him, for him, that makes it a total of 2500 extra Attack Points for him!"
Maha Vailo raised his arms as a stream of the moonlight shined down on him. Letting loose a voiceless cry of triumph, Maha Vailo then felt an aura of overwhelming magic coursing through him.
Maha Vailo - (LIGHT/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (4050/3400)
"That's just about enough to take down Zane's Monster! Go get him, Elize!" cheered Jaden.
But Elize didn't go straight for the kill. Instead, she was eyeing Zane's field, weary of his two facedown cards. And she didn't really have anything to destroy his facedown cards, which she presumed to be traps, so she said, "I end my turn now."
Zane was a bit surprised, but understood why. "Being cautious, huh? I'll admit, that's pretty clever. Not a lot of duelists tend to take that approach."
"I'm...going to be honest, I've seen a lot of other duelists just um...what's the word? Bulldozing their way through? Like, I've faced them before when I had Traps on my field, so I get that feeling right now," Elize admitted. "I don't want to attack recklessly when I know you have facedowns that could be Traps."
Zane smirked a bit. "I'll get it. You're more different than other duelists I've dueled. I know we just started but I just get that sense from you already."
His smirk faded as he glared at her with steel-cold eyes. "BUT...Just being cautious and being defensive isn't enough to guarantee victory. When you find an opportunity, you must take it, no matter the risks! My move!"
Turn 3: Zane
Hand: 1
After drawing his card, Zane knew what to do. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell, De-Fusion, to dismantle my Cyber Twin Dragon and Special Summoning back the two Monsters that came back, Cyber Dragon himself and Cyber Dragon Vier!"
Both dragon-like Machine-Types emerged simultaneously and let out terrifying roars of triumph upon returning back to the dueling field.
Cyber Dragon Vier - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (1100/1600)
Cyber Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV5 - (2100/1600)
"And of course with Vier back, his effect makes it so every Monster on my field with "Cyber Dragon" in their name gains 500 extra Attack and Defense Points!"
Cyber Dragon Vier - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV4 - (1600/2100)
Cyber Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV5 - (2600/2100)
"Now I'll activate one of my facedown cards, the Quick-Play Spell, Photon Generator Unit!" shouted Zane. "By Tributing 2 Cyber Dragons, I can Special Summon Cyber Laser Dragon from my hand, Deck, or Graveyard!"
The advanced technological and cybernetic steel dragon rose up from the ashes of both Cyber Dragon Vier and Cyber Dragon's sacrifices. Attached to his body was a large laser cannon charging up power and soon set to be fired upon command.
Cyber Laser Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV7 - (2400/1800)
"Now I activate Cyber Laser Dragon's effect! Once per turn, I can destroy 1 Monster with Attack or Defense Points equal or higher than Laser Dragon's Attack Points! Naturally, I'll choose Maha Vailo!" Zane narrowed his eyes and told Elize coldly, "You should have taken out my Monster when you had the chance."
As if corresponding to the focused feelings of his master, Cyber Laser Dragon raised his head high in the air just as the laser cannon was nearly at 100%, releasing an air-piercing shriek that also unleashed a crushing sound wave that destroyed Maha Vailo entirely.
"Oh no! Elize doesn't have anymore Monsters left to defend herself with!" cried out Syrus.
"Don't worry, Sy! Let's believe in Elize!" said Jaden, glancing over to her field. "I bet those facedown cards of her will save the day!"
"Cyber Laser Dragon, attack her directly!" ordered Zane.
The laser cannon attached to the mechanical dragon finally reached full capacity right at this very moment. Aiming the laser cannon straight towards the young girl, Cyber Laser Dragon unleashed a full-on laser blast at Elize.
Knowing she needed to defend herself, Elize shouted, "I activate my facedown, Mirror Force! Since you just declared an attack, all Monsters on your field that are in Attack Mode will be destroyed!"
A wide mirror-like large rectangular barrier formed in front of Elize, shielding her from the laser blast and keeping it at bay.
Elize thought to herself that it was a shame that she couldn't take care of Zane's other Monster, Cyber Dragon Pharos, simply for the fact that said Monster was in Defense Mode instead of Attack Mode.
Though, Zane had other plans.
"I activate my other facedown, the Counter Trap, Wiretap!" he shouted. "First, it negates the activation of your Mirror Force Trap card! Then, you must return that card face-up to your deck and then shuffle your deck!"
"Huh? Um...Okay!"
While Elize was shuffling her face-up Mirror Force card back into her deck, the mirror-like barrier protecting her began to crack apart until the last of Cyber Laser Dragon's blast completely shattered it apart and made the scattered mirror pieces fade away into nothingness. After completing Zane's instructions, Elize placed her now shuffled deck back onto her duel disk. "Um...Now what?"
"There's one more thing I should mention," Zane said. "Until you draw that exact same card again, you can't activate cards with the same name as Mirror Force. So, if you were thinking of activating another Mirror Force card, it'll be pointless unless you get that card again from your deck."
'I mean, I only have 1 Mirror Force card in my deck, so this won't really bother me,' Elize thought, scratching her cheek. "Okay, I guess...?"
"Cyber Laser Dragon! Commence your attack once more!" Zane ordered, continuing the duel. His Cyber Laser Dragon began charging up another round of his laser cannon attack, intent on making sure it struck through this time.
Startled and nearly forgetting what they were doing earlier, Elize initiated her backup plan; relying on her other facedown card. "I activate my other facedown card, Draining Shield! This negates your Monster's attack and instead allows me to gain Life Points equal to your Monster's Attack Points!"
When Cyber Laser Dragon unleashed another devastatingly powerful laser blast, the translucent healing barrier of Elize's appeared to both protect and heal her simultaneously. Light green particles sprinkled down onto Elize's body, allowing her to recover a large amount of Life Points.
Elize - 6400 LP
"Hmph. I end my turn," said Zane, crossing his arms nonchalantly.
Turn 4: Elize
Hand: 2
"My turn, draw!" Elize said. She seemed surprised by what she drew and said, "I set a Monster facedown and activate the Equip Spell card, Scroll of Bewitchment, onto Cyber Laser Dragon! I'll change his Attribute to the WIND Attribute!"
'The WIND Attribute?' thought Zane before realization hit him. 'I see...she must have a Charmer Monster fitted for that Attribute ready for her. That must be what her facedown Monster is. Well, let's see how things go from here.'
"Alright...I think I'll end my turn here," said Elize.
Turn 5: Zane
Hand: 1
"My move!" Zane said before drawing his card and then scanning her field. "I summon Cyber Dragon Core to the field!"
Despite its small stature, Cyber Dragon Core had a menacing presence like that akin to a snake, specifically a technical one. It crackled with red-colored electricity all over its body, ready for action.
Cyber Dragon Core - (LIGHT/Machine) - LV2 - (400/1500)
"I activate Cyber Dragon Core's effect! If it was Normal Summoned, I can add 1 Cyber Spell or Trap card from my deck into my hands! I choose Cybernetic Fusion Support!"
"Judging from that name, is Zane planning on Fusion Summoning on his turn?" wondered Syrus out loud.
"Oh boy! I hope it's a different kind of Cyber Dragon Fusion Monster! I'm so pumped up!" said Jaden excitedly.
As if answering the boys, Zane said, "Actually, I'm holding off on that for now. Instead, I'll have Cyber Laser Dragon attack your facedown Monster right away! "
"HUh? Zane's not going to activate his Monster's effect!? Isn't that a once per turn thing?" wondered Syrus.
"True, but that effect also requires knowing your opponent's Monster. In this case, knowing his opponent's Attack and Defense Points," explained Alexis. "Zane can't use his Monster's effect because Elize's Monster is facedown, hence preventing anyone of us from knowing what kind of Attack or Defense Points her Monster has."
As Cyber Laser Dragon was charging for another attack, Elize braced herself and activated her last facedown card.
"I activate my Trap, Wall of Disruption!" shouted Elize. "This turn, when a Monster you control attacks, that Monster loses 800 extra Attack Points for each Monster on your field! You have 3, which means Cyber Laser Dragon loses 2400 extra Attack Points! In fact, that's practically all of its Attack Points!"
Because of itself, Cyber Pharos, and Cyber Dragon Core currently on the field, a large looming purple aura surrounded Cyber Laser Dragon's body, weakening it. It still shot out a laser attack that did nothing to Elize whatsoever, but focused entirely on her facedown Monster who was its real target.
A burst of wind deflected the laser attack just as the facedown Monster flipped over, revealing the mysterious Monster to be Wynn the Wind Charmer.
Wynn the Wind Charmer - (WIND/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (500/1500)
"Wynn's Flip effect activates!" said Elize. "As long as she's face-up on the field, she can control any single one WIND-Attribute Monster on your field! I'll definitely choose Cyber Laser Dragon!"
"So that's why she changed its Attribute to WIND! Nice one, Elize!" praised Chumley.
Raising her staff and chanting a spell in unknown Monster language, Wynn concentrated everything towards Cyber Laser Dragon. Rings of swirling winds coursed throughout its body as it let out one last shriek of defiance before settling down and flying towards Wynn's and essentially Elize's side of the field under Wynn's full control.
"...I'll end my turn," Zane said, his expression not that of frustration but that of calmness and a hint of curiosity in his eyes.
Turn 6: Elize
Hand: 1
"I draw!" said Elize. "Okay...First, I'll switch Wynn into Attack Mode...then it's time for me to attack! Wynn, please attack Cyber Dragon Core!"
"O-Okay! Should be simple enough this time around!" agreed Wynn. She focused on Cyber Dragon Core and casted a wind spell immediately at it; the whirling and sharp winds tearing the poor Monster apart.
Zane - 3900 LP
"Next, Cyber Dragon Laser! Please attack Cyber Pharos!"
Eyes glistening with determination, even when possessed, Cyber Dragon Laser swiftly fired a laser blast, completely destroying Cyber Pharos in a huge explosion.
"Okay...I end my turn!"
Turn 7: Zane
Hand: 2
"I draw!" said Zane. "I summon Cyber Phoenix to the field!"
Like an actual phoenix, the mechanical bird-like Monster made its appearance through bursting through flames, flying around the field triumphantly before soaring back to Zane's field.
Cyber Phoenix - (FIRE/Machine) - LV4 - (1200/1600)
"I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Cybernetic Fusion Support! By paying half my Life points, I can substitute this card as a Fusion card for a Machine-Type Fusion Monster! I remove from play three Cyber Dragons from my Graveyard in order to Fusion Summon Cyber End Dragon!"
Zane - 1950 LP
The three Cyber Dragons Zane mentioned were one actual Cyber Dragon and the other two being Cyber Dragon Vier and Cyber Dragon Nachster, whose effects allow them to count as "Cyber Dragons" even in the Graveyard. All three were removed from play in order to Fusion Summon Zane's most powerful Fusion Monster, the three-headed Cyber End Dragon.
Cyber End Dragon - (LIGHT/Machine/Fusion) - LV10 - (4000/2800)
"There it is! Zane's best Monster!" exclaimed Jaden excitedly. "Aww man! I'm so glad to see that Monster again!"
Elize swallowed and braced herself, determined to see the duel through to the end no matter what.
"Cyber Phoenix, destroy her Wynn the Wind Charmer, now!"
Not even Wynn could survive a direct fiery assault of Cyber Phoenix as it charged straight at her, literally blazing through and destroying her, which also broke the possession charmed spell placed on Cyber Laser Dragon who returned back to Zane's body upon Wynn's defeat.
Elize - 5700 LP
"it's over," said Zane solemnly. "Cyber End Dragon and Cyber Laser Dragon, finish her off!"
Both cybernetic dragons let out huge roars in response to his commands, charging up their last devastating attacks. Once preparations were complete, they didn't show any hesitation in finishing off the last of Elize's Life Points,
Elize - 0 LP
Winner: Zane
Elize fell to her knees, letting out a huge sigh. She was a bit sad that she lost but overall, she was just exhausted from searching for Syrus for most of the way.
Zane walked over and offered his hand, which she politely accepted, standing back up. "Thank you...Um...Zane? May I ask why you wanted to duel me specifically? I mean, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed our duel, I was just wondering if there was a reason?"
"...Well, part of the reason was because Alexis asked me to," admitted Zane. "As a sort of training to gauge how good you were in a duel. And also because I wanted the chance to duel you too. I have to say, you've improved since your time at the entrance exams, but this level of dueling isn't enough against whatever punishment duel you'll be facing. Train harder, learn new different strategies. That way, you'll stand a better chance with a different mindset. That's all the advice I have to give to you."
As he turned around and walked away, Elize bowed her head and called out, "Thank you so much, Zane! F-For the duel and the lesson!"
Alexis rushed up and caught up to Zane as he was walking off. "So...? What did you think?"
"Well, in terms of dueling experience and raw ability, Jaden's better at that than her," admitted Zane. "But she also plays more defensively which helps someone like her out. But she'll need to be far more aggressive and stay more on the offense. Defense is important in a duel, but just defense isn't enough."
"Yeah, true..." agreed Alexis. "She'll definitely need a lot of training and experience to become a better duelist..."
"But even so, I can sense great potential in her. If she keeps this up, I bet she'll be a great duelist someday."
Alexis nodded, glancing behind her back to see Elize happily chatting with Jaden and the others. It seemed they were going to head back to the Slifer Red Dorms to grab something to eat. Alexis was about to call out and remind Elize that she wasn't a Slifer Red and that. she isn't really obligated to have dinner with them.
But, seeing the happy look on her face, Alexis found she didn't want to sour that moment and let things be. It seems that Elize wanted to hang out with Jaden and the others more even with different dorms separating them apart.
And in all honesty, she seemed happier in Slifer Red than being in Obelisk Blue.